PD set to request delay after civil unions bill hits trouble

Chaos in parliament after M5S refuses to back 'kangaroo'

(ANSA) - Rome, February 17 - Premier Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) is set to request a delay in the Senate's examination of a bill regulating civil unions, including same-sex ones, after the package ran into trouble, ANSA sources said Wednesday. The bill's progress was thrown into doubt on Tuesday when the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) said it would not vote for a so-called 'kangaroo' amendment to strike down many other amendments presented by opponents to the bill. The most controversial part of the bill is the stepchild adoption provision enabling gays to adopt the biological children on their partners. The PD is expected to request a delay of "a few days," the sources said.

Luigi Zanda, the Senate whip for Premier Matteo Renzi's Democratic Party (PD), on Wednesday called for an immediate meeting of Upper House whips to discuss the situation regarding the civil unions bill. "Yesterday a new political development occurred," Zanda said. "A group that seemed in favour of a procedure for the bill changed its mind. So some work of reflection is needed to unknot the political threads".